Dos and Don’ts of Self Promotion on Social Media

The barrage of social media requests we get can be astronomical at times. I don’t know about you, but I probably have several dozen notifications across a few social media platforms that I simply haven’t responded to.

Many people are confused about how to correctly use social media to promote their business. The whole goal is to build rapport and visibility with existing and potential clients.

You want to serve more, earn more and enjoy more right? Then do so genuinely. Self promotion on social media needs to be authentic, because followers can see right through a charade.

Connect with people through the use of inspiring quotes or words of encouragement.

Do not post an endless stream of sales pitches. You will only end up hurting your business and pushing people away.

That being said, having a call to action and providing an opportunity to learn more about working with you, should be part of our plan.

Here’s a good rule of thumb that applies to all of your marketing: use the 80/20 rule. 80% of your posts should be provide value – be it educational or informational while 20% can be sales or promotion driven. Here are four easy ways to do that:

1. Be YOU!

Authenticity is a recurring theme in my blog, and for good reason. Be a human being on social media, not a sales person. That personal, emotional connection you make with people will far outweigh any other impression you could make.

2. Interact & Inspire

On every single one of my blog posts I ask you the readers a question or two. Even if you don’t physically type your answer in the comments, it at least gets you thinking. It gets you involved right? So do the same on all of your social media platforms, provide value, engage and interact with your audience.

This can include inspiring them as well. Prove to them why you’re the authority in your niche, why they should work with you over any other XYZ. Accomplish this again by just sharing honest and useful content that your dream client would find helpful.

3. Be Patient

Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither was Facebook. So why would you expect to move mountains right out of the gate? Sure, it can happen, and it is highly unlikely. Play around with different types of posts to see what sticks and what doesn’t.

Some posts will perform better, more people will be receptive to one kind over another. You just don’t know until you try so give things time.

Keep a journal or study your analytics to see hard evidence about what worked best and when. The key (and hardest part) is to stay consistent and don’t give up.

4. Stay On Brand

I would never post something like, “The Top 10 Foods to Eat While Living in A Submarine” or “A Step by Step Guide to Fileting a Fish.” Those aren’t my areas of expertise (surprising right?). Stick to what you know.

I’m going to use the word consistency again.

Consistent voice, consistent themes, consistent information/advice. Share what’s relevant to you and your brand. Don’t do something or write about a subject just because another person did. March to the beat of your own drum.

How do you measure up when it comes to self promotion on social media? What’s worked and not worked for you?